Day 6- Drop Your Glass

Raising a glass is the most common way to celebrate and socialize. So, what’s the big deal? Why are we giving up it up?
Many health and wellness authors have concerns about alcohol:

“Alcohol…raises the level of hydrochloric acid in your stomach, wreaking havoc on the digestive process. If you suffer from poor digestion, then your food will not pass through your body properly... To make matters worse, some alcohol (and non-organic wines) still contains urethane, a cancer-causing chemical…And don’t kid yourself: When you have a hangover, you’re bound to eat shit all day long.” -Skinny Bitch, Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin

“Alcohol possesses no nutritional value, it inhibits your body’s ability to burn fat by more than 30 percent, and it’s loaded with empty calories.”
-The Engine 2 Diet, Rip Esselstyn

“Yes, some studies have shown that one glass of red wine a day (or two for men) may be good for the heart. But that’s only because we’re walking around with meat-battered, stress-stricken tickers, and a little booze helps to relax us, thins the blood, and contains antioxidants. However, giving up meat and dairy, eating your veggies, and getting some exercise will do all of the above. Red wine is a pretty extreme “medicine” for a condition caused by extreme foods.”
-The Kind Diet, Alicia Silverstone

Drinking alcohol can move our body into a low-grade fight-or-flight metabolism by raising cortisol (stress hormone) levels. Additionally, it depletes vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid, which can interrupt REM sleep.

According to Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, if you are female and are having even one glass of wine every day, you have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer, compared with women who drink less frequently.

Sometimes, we drink to loosen up at social gatherings. I would urge you to give your weird self permission to come out without alcohol. Why do we have to be drunk to feel free to act how we want? Of course, you could always be an ass and then SAY you were drinking- save yourself the headache and the health problems. Just sayin’.

I’ve often used drinking to loosen up/unwind from an awful day/talk to people/have a free stupid pass at parties. But I’m taking my own advice (and all the professionals above) and have considerably slowed down my alcohol intake in the past few years. After the cleanse is over, it’s really not a big deal to have a glass of wine occasionally. But now we know the consequences if we overdo it and will hopefully consider reducing the frequency in which we imbibe. And the best wine to choose would be organic and free of sulfites.

Alternatives to that glass of wine after a rough day:
-Take a bath  with essential oils (like lavender) and salts and breathe deeply. The salts will help to release any toxins built up from the day.
-Go for a walk or a run- it will actually increase the dopamine (happy hormone) in your brain.
-Take a yoga class. It will relax, rejuvenate, detox, make you feel good, and all that in just over an hour.
-Curl up with a favorite book.
-Just changing clothes can help to strip off the day and get ready to relax.

I've been playing with different flavors of sparkling water and I love to put it in a pretty glass. When attending parties, I often bring my own sparkling water and essential oils like orange, lime, lemon, Stress Away, and Citrus Fresh (Young Living Essential Oils.)  Sometimes I'll also add a tropical juice or my favorite- NingXia Red. Then I get a boost of energy, too, and it feels like an even more special drink than everyone else has.

Relaxing with some sparkling water and one of my favorite meals: Pistachio-Crusted Eggplant Cutlets & Quinoa with Roasted Tomatoes & Herbs.

Pistachio-Crusted Eggplant Cutlets
Serves 2
1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios (why do they say “shelled” when they mean “unshelled?”)
8 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 jarred roasted red peppers, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into ¼ inch-thick slices (6 to 8 slices each)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190.5 C) and coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Blend pistachios in blender or food processor until finely chopped.  Transfer to plate or shallow bowl.

3. Add sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and garlic to blender or food processor (no need to rinse) and puree until smooth.

4. Spray 1 side of each eggplant slice with cooking spray, and place sprayed-side down on baking sheet. Spread 2 Tablespoons sun-dried tomato mix on each eggplant slice, and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon ground pistachios.

5. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and pistachio topping is browned and crispy.

- Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Quinoa with Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs
½ cup quinoa
1 pound cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
½ cup mixed herbs (basil/parsley/chives)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 375 F (190.5 C), while cooking the quinoa according to package.

2. Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatoes, garlic 1 TB oil, and ½ tsp salt.  Roast, tossing once, until the tomatoes begin to burst, 15-20 minutes.

3. Toss the quinoa with the tomatoes, herbs, and 1 TB oil.

Day One- Powerfully Letting Go of Cravings

I hope you are feeling better than I am. My belated family Christmas was yesterday and seemed to be perfect timing to say goodbye to things like wine (I said goodbye to about 4 glasses), meat (in a parade of pretty much any way I could want it- I had to say goodbye to all the ways,) and of course every freakin' thing was cheesy (I told my aunt I ate so much cheese my eyeballs hurt.) And don't forget dessert! The way I feel today is reminding me exactly why I'm doing this cleanse. I want to truly find the BALANCE so I don't have to feel like this again.

As much as we might want to retreat, it is possible to fit this new way of eating into everyday life. Just today, I was reading a passage about yoga that also made me think about food. In Light on Life, B.K.S. Iyengar writes,

“Many associate yoga with a rejection of the world, its responsibilities, and commitments, and with extreme austerity leading even to self-mortification. But is not the greater challenge and greater fulfillment to be found living in the world with its tribulations and temptations, and at the same time to maintain both balance and self-control in the everyday life of a householder?”

 As good as it felt to just “be normal” and eat like everyone else, it also felt like physically hurting myself to appease others. The indulgence was delicious and felt good...for a very short time. Of course it's easier. And the more I read about food marketing, I find that it's confusing and exhausting on purpose. I'm tired of being called “picky.” I caved to the gluttony of yesterday and the stomachaches, the headaches, the lethargy of today. 

My goal in this cleanse is to flex my discipline muscles, learn what my body really needs, and eventually find the balance Iyengar speaks of in everyday life, even after the cleanse is over, even during family parties.

By now, your cravings might be talking to you a little bit. Maybe even more than a little. This is not a time to make big decisions or to have life-determining meetings. You might feel a little bit cranky as your addictions try to scream for your attention. Your body wants its fix(es)!

Right now we are eliminating our usual craving triggers as we break out of our habits of eating and ways of thinking (or not thinking) about food. We are more powerful than food, surely! If you feel a caffeine headache, just think about how strong you are to give up a substance that has such a powerful hold over you. After a few days, you will conquer it. Give yourself a little hug for being awesome.

To be honest, I thought something was wrong with me when I first gave up caffeine. Kathy Freston wrote that it would probably be a few days of headaches, but I had a full two weeks of excruciating headaches and feeling like I could fall asleep at any time. I was wading through molasses just to get through the day. Forget intelligent conversation. Forget exercise. I was wondering why I was doing it. But then… I started sleeping beautifully, deeply. The heightened sense of anxiety and irritability left me. I could have a kind conversation with my husband in the morning before drinking my coffee. I could even think creatively without coffee. What? It’s true.

The cravings and withdrawal will go away, I promise. Just wait until week 3! You’ll be feeling SO GOOD.

How would you like a delicious recipe that you can leave in the slow cooker and come home to a delicious, gluten-free, vegan meal? No animals were harmed in the making of this meal. Alcohol free, too! Mmmm.

"No Hurry Vegetable Curry"

1 Tablespoon peanut oil
2 large carrots, sliced on a diagonal
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced  (I will be using about 10 small red potatoes)
8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed
One can Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) - 15 oz, drained and rinsed (or dry soaked overnight)
One can diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz.
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed (or fresh snow peas)
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
salt

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 min. Add garlic, curry powder, coriander, and cayenne, stirring to coat.

2. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a slow cooker. Add the potatoes, green beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, and stock cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
(If not using a slow cooker - perhaps boil or bake the potatoes prior and add in the last 5 minutes of sauteeing. I would recommend cooking everything in a pan for about 1/2 hour so that the tomatoes can get less sour. Since there is not the benefit of the tomatoes mellowing for hours, you may want to add a bit of agave nectar or approved sweetener that is NOT sugar or artificial flavoring.)

3. Just before serving, stir in the peas and coconut milk and season with salt. Taste to adjust the seasonings.

Borrowed from: Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker

Pursuit of Wellness

 

 "Wellness is very big among my yogamates. If Wellness were a person, it would be Michael Jackson circa 1984, and my yogamates would be screaming, crying fans jumping up and down just to be so near to it." - Yoga Bitch, Suzanne Morrison

In my breathless pursuit of Wellness, that willowy, lovely ideal of balanced health, I am planning to draw my focus to the physical aspect, but for once, my resolution is not "lose fifty million pounds." It is to "Be healthy by moving regularly and eating mindfully."

Ever blown it on your weight-loss resolution?  I have some shocking news for you: It's not your fault! According to Dr. Leanne Deardreuff, DC in Inner Transformations Using Essential Oils,

"Starting a weight loss diet in the winter works against the system and actually makes the body want to put on more weight since it thinks it has been thrown into the starvation mode during the cold months when it already needs to conserve all the energy it can. This is one reason that New Year's weight-loss resolutions often fail: It's simply the wrong time of year."

The trouble is, if you've gone off the holiday deep end like me, the body may be craving balance and respite from the feasting. Dr. Deardreuff goes on to say that cleansing in the winter can still be beneficial, "especially if your body is screaming for it."

So, to honor my screaming body, I'm doing a cleanse! I've decided to use my blog posts from 2012 that were based on Kathy Freston's 21 Day Quantum Wellness Cleanse, but I will also be integrating other things I've learned about and experienced over the last couple of years, like juicing, green smoothies, and using essential oils and essential oil enhanced products. I may even have some new recipes.

I'm starting this coming Monday- January 12th. Would you like to join me? My blog posts each day will have enough information for you to follow along, whether for the full 21 days or to flirt for a week, even a day here or there. If you simply read along without doing it, you'll still find surprisingly great recipes and info.

This cleanse is the perfect way to refresh your digestive system. It gives your body a break from all of the things that contain the most toxins and use up all of the energy for digestion. These items are:

•     Caffeine

•     Alcohol

•     Gluten

•     Animal Products

•     Sugar

Some of the changes you can expect, according to the author are:

•     More energy

•     Clearer skin and eyes

•     Weight Loss

•     Cessation of certain aches, pains, and digestive ailments

•     Release from addictive habits

•    A profound and deepened awareness of your personal power and the effect you have in the world

Well, those things sound awesome! And it's only 21 days. You'll be done by Valentine's Day...but will you still look at the candy the same way? Hmmm... So you're in, right?

Tips for Continuing on a Healthy Journey

"When diet is wrong medicine is of no use.
When diet is correct medicine is of no need."
-Ayurvedic Proverb

Wow, we did it.  We committed to 21-days to take care of ourselves and to improve our health and our awareness of what we put in our bodies.  You should be so proud!

If we’re being scientific, the best approach is to re-introduce each of the “Big 5” one at a time, so that you can evaluate the effects on your body in an isolated manner.  These are my recommendations for optimal health:

I recommend continuing to omit Animal Products.  After all that we’ve learned about meat and dairy, it makes sense to keep out of our bodies.  Plus, there’s that lovely, light feeling after eating.  If you do decide to reintroduce dairy, watch out for sinus congestion or stomach upset.  If these things show up, you may be one of the 50% of people who are allergic and don’t even know it.

When dining out, you can always ask if you don’t see something on the menu that works for your diet.  In New York City at a steak restaurant, I asked the waiter for a vegan meal, and this is the beautiful dish the chef whipped up, just for me!  It’s best to call ahead, whenever possible, if requesting off-menu meals, but is not typically required.  You may be surprised how accommodating and creative chefs can be.

It's always fresh, made just for you, and usually presented rather artistically.  This was another delicious vegan meal that was prepared for me at a wedding on Saturday (veggies with a balsamic reduction sauce):

Vida commented that the baked red skin potatoes on my plate were tastier and better seasoned than the scalloped potatoes on his!

If you did not find many changes from omitting gluten, slowly reintroduce it into your diet.  Look for whole grains like barley, buckwheat, oats, and whole wheat.  Pay close attention to noticing if you experience headaches, asthma, skin rashes or hives, weight gain and/or loss, bloating, fatigue, or depression.  It could mean you have a gluten intolerance and then you would want to continue to omit.

I strongly recommend leaving caffeine out of your diet.  You’ve already gone through the withdrawal, so why put your body through the deleterious effects again?  If you decide to partake on occasion, pay close attention to how you sleep and if you notice a rise in anxiety and/or irritability.  You may also experience tummy troubles.  And remember, coffee is acidic.  Too much acid in the body keeps us fat and sick.  To boot, if you are a cream and sugar addict like I used to be, that’s added fat and calories that you can spare yourself daily.

Ah, alcohol.  Again, we’ve broken the habit, so why not leave this one for special occasions?  And pay attention – you will be more likely to notice the way your body reacts, both while drinking and after.  Evaluate if that’s what you want to experience and make your conscious choice instead of succumbing to peer pressure or habits.  Alcohol is really pure sugar – it’s grains processed down until the body uses them too quickly.  That’s bad for blood sugar and your metabolism.

If you are going to re-introduce sugar, I hope you will do so much more lightly than before you began the cleanse.  Sugar is another toxin that makes our body acidic, causing our body to cling to fat cells and also increasing the fuel for cancer.  Of course, if you have dessert at a party every now and then, that’s fine.  And I will have dark chocolate from time to time.  But if you can resist, take advantage of the fact that your body has broken its craving.  And again – pay close attention to how you feel.

These are my recommendations.  Of course, you and your body know best.  Hopefully you’ve become more in-tune and will be able to discern what is best for you at this time in your life.

Have a wonderful week and I’ll have another delicious recipe for you on Thursday.  Please keep the comments and questions coming.  Enjoy your healthy journey!

Day 9 – A Surprising Obstacle

Hopefully, your initial cravings have passed, along with any withdrawal symptoms.  Now is a good time to pause and give yourself a big hug (it’s possible and it feels really nice!  Try it for real!)  You should be so proud – I am.  It’s been over a week that we have eliminated alcohol, animal products, caffeine, gluten, and sugar- staples that “can’t be lived without” for many.  This is hard core.  And we are rockin’!

My husband, Vida, and I went on a short retreat to The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake – WINE COUNTRY!  Luckily, Vida decided to give up drinking with me in support of the cleanse.  That helped.  I think we were the only sober adults in the whole place!  At the pool, we saw people carrying beer and frozen drinks from the refreshment stand.  Instead we sipped on water, then went for a six- mile bike ride.  At dinner, we watched people, sipping elegantly on their wine at the beginning of the evening (while I felt a bit envious), then stumbling and slurring by the end (when I felt a little better.)   The next day, we remarked to each other how that was the first time we had been there and not drinking.  At the risk of sounding like an after school special, I’m going to venture to say it was better.  I was able to be present and enjoy every single moment: the sun on my skin at the pool, every color in the gorgeous sunset, the lake view and breeze as we biked, every bite of the delicious food.  

Alcohol was not the only temptation.  There was an omelet station for breakfast (my favorite!) and the cheese in Vida’s omelet started looking lasciviously at me and purring my name.  I told the omelet, “Back off!  I feel amazing and nothing is worth giving that up.”

Luckily, there were even a couple of vegan options on the menu – a marinated tofu stir-fry and a black bean burger (which I ordered without the bun, but indulged in the guacamole!)

As we were watching the sunset and I was sipping on my sparkling water with lemon, Vida ordered an ice cream sundae.  I was feeling very smug that I would be just fine, when the waitress, who had astutely noticed me ordering vegan items, mentioned that there was fresh raspberry sorbet.  No dairy.  But sugar!  I thought, “no,” but somehow my lips said yes and it appeared before me moments later.  Well… it was delicious.  I ate only half of the one little scoop and savored every bite.  What was really interesting was the sugar buzz that happened to me after!  I was slap-happy and giggling non-stop for about an hour, then suddenly, as the fun was just starting, the sugar crashed and I was sleeping.  I even had a bit of a headache the next morning.  I never realized that sugar had such an effect, so it was an amusing experiment.

I had a fortified wall up against the things that I know tempt me the most (coffee, cheese, eggs, wine, bread, pasta) but I fell in a moment to sugar, when I’ve always been one who can pass on desserts without too much trouble.  Surprise!

I’m going to take my own advice and not beat myself up about it, but instead be proud of all the other temptations that I was able to vanquish.  And now today is a new day.  I’ve also decided that I’m in it for the long haul and this is how I would like to eat for the rest of my life.  I already feel better than ever and it’s exciting.

I struggled with sharing this slip up, in fear that you will now throw in the towel, declare me a fraud, and stick your face in a chocolate cake with a side of beef.  I can hear your now happier body shouting, “Please don’t!”  Hopefully you will be even stronger than me.  But if not, get back to it on the next meal and take note of how your body reacted.  I’ve been giving this advice and meaning it, but never thought I would have to listen to it!

Meditation:
“Throughout the day, I will say to myself with eyes closed, I examine myself.  I will always be challenged by various situations-relationship conflicts, stress at work, drama with my kids- and thus experience feelings that are uncomfortable.  All of this provides the friction necessary for my personal growth.  If everything went along swimmingly all the time, I would never have the opportunity to stretch myself, or work at pushing through the obstacles that keep me stagnant.  In order to keep moving forward, I can step back from the feelings and examine them, noting how familiar or repetitive they are… As I now see it, the purpose of my life is to grow and awaken to the powerful potential that is within.  My most sacred mission is to focus on moving through the places that hold me back.”

I added green onions.  Mine was a little too brothy, so I reduced the liquid in the recipe below.

Comfort Food - Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Chickpea Curry
Since this is cooked in the slow cooker, the ingredients get gooey, but retain the nutrients.  Delicious!
If you don’t have a slow cooker, make it like a stew and simmer for at least an hour or two.

1 cup dried, split chickpeas
1 cup red or brown lentils
3 cups water (or more depending on what package says for chickpeas and lentils)
2 teaspoons pure chile powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 can diced tomatoes
½ cup coconut milk
Salt to taste
¼ cup cilantro (optional)
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced small (optional)

1. Put chickpeas, lentils, water, turmeric, chile powder, sweet potato, and diced tomatoes in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until chickpeas and lentils are tender.

2. Remove the cover and gently stir in coconut milk.  Add salt to taste and also sample to see if you should add more turmeric & chili powder.  Cook for another ½ hour to an hour.

3. Serve and top each serving with one tablespoon of cilantro and a bit of chopped jalapeno.

Day 6 - Drop Your Glass

Raising a glass is the most common way to celebrate and socialize.  So, what’s the big deal?  Why are we giving up it up?



Many health and wellness authors have concerns about alcohol:

“Alcohol…raises the level of hydrochloric acid in your stomach, wreaking havoc on the digestive process.  If you suffer from poor digestion, then your food will not pass through your body properly... To make matters worse, some alcohol (and non-organic wines) still contains urethane, a cancer-causing chemical…And don’t kid yourself:  When you have a hangover, you’re bound to eat shit all day long.”
-Skinny Bitch, Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin

“Alcohol possesses no nutritional value, it inhibits your body’s ability to burn fat by more than 30 percent, and it’s loaded with empty calories.”
-The Engine 2 Diet, Rip Esselstyn

“Yes, some studies have shown that one glass of red wine a day (or two for men) may be good for the heart.  But that’s only because we’re walking around with meat-battered, stress-stricken tickers, and a little booze helps to relax us, thins the blood, and contains antioxidants.  However, giving up meat and dairy, eating your veggies, and getting some exercise will do all of the above.  Red wine is a pretty extreme “medicine” for a condition caused by extreme foods.”
-The Kind Diet, Alicia Silverstone

Drinking alcohol can move our body into a low-grade fight-or-flight metabolism by raising cortisol (stress hormone) levels.  Additionally, it depletes vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid, which can interrupt REM sleep.

According to Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, if you are female and are having even one glass of wine every day, you have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer, compared with women who drink less frequently. 

Sometimes, we drink to loosen up at parties.  I would urge you to give your weird self permission to come out without alcohol.  Why do we have to be drunk to feel free to act how we want?  Of course, you could always be an ass and then SAY you were drinking- save yourself the headache and the health problems.  Just sayin’.

I’ve often used drinking to loosen up/unwind from an awful day/talk to people/have a free stupid pass at parties.  But I’m taking my own advice (and all the professionals above) and hope to chill on drinking in the future.  So, after the cleanse is over, it’s really not a big deal to have a glass of wine occasionally.  But now we know the consequences if we overdo it and will hopefully consider reducing the frequency in which we imbibe. 

So, time to relax with some sparkling water and one of my favorite meals: Pistachio-Crusted Eggplant Cutlets & Quinoa with Roasted Tomatoes & Herbs (same one as earlier post, but with quinoa!)



Pistachio-Crusted Eggplant Cutlets   
Serves 2
1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios (why do they say “shelled” when they mean “unshelled?”)
8 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 jarred roasted red peppers, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into ¼ inch-thick slices (6 to 8 slices each)

1.    Preheat oven to 375 F (190.5 C) and coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

2.    Blend pistachios in blender or food processor until finely chopped.  Transfer to plate or shallow bowl.

3.    Add sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and garlic to blender or food processor (no need to rinse) and puree until smooth.

4.    Spray 1 side of each eggplant slice with cooking spray, and place sprayed-side down on baking sheet.  Spread 2 Tablespoons sun-dried tomato mix on each eggplant slice, and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon ground pistachios.

5.    Bake 15-20 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and pistachio topping is browned and crispy.

-    Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Quinoa with Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs
½ cup quinoa
1 pound cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
½ cup mixed herbs (basil/parsley/chives)
Salt and pepper to taste
. 
1.    Heat oven to 375 F (190.5 C), while cooking the quinoa according to package.

2.    Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatoes, garlic 1 TB oil, and ½ tsp salt.  Roast, tossing once, until the tomatoes begin to burst, 15-20 minutes.

3.    Toss the quinoa with the tomatoes, herbs, and 1 TB oil.